By Michael Newman

DyeStat Illinois Editor

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Khalil Wassell (New Berlin HS) had a great 2016 season winning one individual state championship, helping his teammates win the 400 Meter Relay, just missing two state championships by hundredths of a second, and led New Berlin to the 1A State Team Championship. It is hard to compare what he did compared to Jon Davis.

Davis did some amazing things this season. He went to California to compete in the Arcadia Invitational 3200 Meter Run. He finished second (8:51.17) by less than a second behind 2015 NXN Champion Casey Clinger (American Fork HS UT). Davis said afterward he wish he had ten more meters to catch Clinger. His only setback to an Illinois runner this year came two weeks later at the Distance Night in Palatine when Sandburg’s Sean Torpy made a move on Davis 600 meters into the 1600 Meter Run. It was a move that Davis could not react to as he finished second (4:11.66) three seconds behind Torpy (4:08.64). Davis ran close to five miles after the race showing his frustration. He would not be defeated the rest of the season.

His solo 4:05 that he ran at the Vermillion County Meet going out in the first half of the race in 2:00 showed he wanted a little more. A flu bug slowed him down heading into the state meet. Originally, he wanted to go after the 1A 1600 Meter Record. The sickness which he came down with two days before the prelims slowed him down. The IHSA could not slow him down in the finals despite speeding up the schedule. Davis ran 9:14 (in flats) to win the 3200 Meter Run, then came back two hours later to run 4:19 to win the 1600 Meter Run title. Five days later at the Festival of Miles Mile run, Davis blew away from a strong field to run 4:05.29 personal best to win the race. He went by 1600 meters in 4:03.97 which ended up being the second fastest time in the nation at that distance. Two weeks later at the Brooks PR Invitational, he fought off a strong wind and a nationally elite field to win the 1 Mile Run in 4:07.52. There were doubts in his head after the cross country season when he did not run as well as he wanted to in the two national championships. He used that chip on his shoulder to achieve what he did this season.

Davis was the top 1A athlete this past season. He leaves high school running for the University of Illinois with nine state championships. People will debate that since he was in Class 1A, that he does not deserve to be in the discussion as one of the best Illinois high school runners ever. But when you look at his performances (some which he did by himself) and how he competed against elite national runners, he will be considered in my mind as one of the best high school runners ever to be produced by this state. He’s earned that.

We are proud to congratulate Jon Davis of Oakwood High School as the 2016 Dye Stat Illinois 1A Boys Athlete of the Year.